Lady
Greyhound - Purebred white and gold Greyhound seen on THE
STEVE ALLEN SHOW and other TV appearances in the 1950s (with Jack
Benny, Art Linkletter, Garry Moore and Ed Murrow, among others).
Born January 28, 1957, in Clay Center, Kansas, Lady Greyhound was
the living symbol of the Greyhound Bus Line's "running dog mascot"
that first appeared as the company's official trademark in 1930 when
the Motor Transit Corporation became the Greyhound Corporation.
In
1957, the Greyhound Corporation introduced "Lady Greyhound" as its
goodwill ambassador during their sponsorship of NBC's THE STEVE
ALLEN SHOW on April 7, 1957 (she weighed only ten pounds). The dog
earned the nicknamed "Steverino."
Lady Greyhound grew to be 58
pounds and for the next decade the black-eyed beauty appeared at
numerous civic events nationwide.
Bred by Roy Lee of Clay, Center
Kansas, Lady Greyhound's parents were Little Shamrock (Dam) and
Happy Yet (Sire). Lady, who later gave birth to nine puppies, was
registered with the National Coursing Association in Abeline,
Kansas.
Lady's canine kudos included being crowned Queen of National
Dog Week, founding "Be Kind to Dog Owner's Week"; winning a
Bachelor's of Animal Letters Degree at Moravian College; introducing
a new dance with Xavier Cugat and Abby Lane; inspiring new beach hat
styles for the Millinery Institute; winning an American Humane
Society Award, and serving as a symbol for World Animal Day.
TRIVIA NOTE: The Greyhound Bus
Lines trace their lineage back to immigrant Eric Wickman from Vamhus,
Sweden who began transporting miners on the Mesaba Transportation
Company in 1914 from Hibbing, MN, to Alice, MN. He charged 15 cents
one-way or 25 cents round-trip for a ride in his seven-seat
Hupmobile. In the 1934 film classic It Happened One Night, starring
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, a Greyhound bus was prominently
featured in the story.
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